Egypt, France defence ministers visit air base

Egypt's Defense Minister Col. Gen. Sedky Sobhy and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian visited on Monday an air base where multi-role Rafale and Mirage fighters are stationed.

A military statement by the Egyptian army said Air Forces Commander Yunis El Masry welcomed the visitors upon arrival at the base.

An air show was conducted by pilots of the base. Mirage fighters participated in the show.

The ministers then inspected the Rafale fighters that have recently joined the Egyptian Air Forces, said the statement.

"They boosted significantly the fighting capacities of the Egyptian Armed Forces," said the statement.

Photos were taken for the ministers with the pilots of the base. They met with a number of pilots, officers and technical teams at the base.

During the meeting, Sobhy hailed strong relations between Egypt and France, pointing out to French support for the Egyptian people and its army in counter-terror efforts.

The French minister expressed pleasure over the visit. He lauded the deeply-rooted ties with Egypt.

Egypt's military top brass attended.

Source: MENA